Rune Factory: Rivals
by Juxapose4ever
Summary: An alternate retelling of the Rune factory storyline. Laguna is a lost young man with Amnesia. Mist is a lonely girl who seeks someone to run her farm. Laguna takes over Mist's farm in hopes of regaining his memory.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1: Laguna and Mist**

Once upon a time, nestling in the border of the Kingdom of Norad and the Sechs Empire, rests a small village. The small village Known as Kardia is a home for many citizens who wish to escape the harsh life inside the castle of either city. However, even though Kardia has citizens of both empires living there, the village belongs to the Kingdom of Norad.

South of the village is a farm owned by a well known and respected warrior. Living with him is his only daughter named Mist. Mist is a very bright and optimistic little girl. Her mother died tragically when she was only a baby. Without many memories of her mother, she becomes very attached to her father.

Mist's father cares for his only daughter deeply. When he is not farming, he plays with his little girl all day, and tells her stories about his past adventures at night. On holidays, Mist's father would teach her some basic swordsmanship just to defend herself. But even though Mist is a poor fighter, her bright smile and cheerful attitude is enough to make her father very happy.

Mist grew up to resemble just like her deceased mother. Her straight white hair with a small tint of yellow, and her blue eyes would sometimes make her father sigh with nostalgia. However, he feels blessed having such a beautiful and well mannered child in his life. But he still wishes very much that that his wife had survived to see her daughter grow up as well.

However, happiness never lasts forever. Soon after Mist turned fourteen years old, her father had to go into one of the many cavern in Kardia to investigate some unusual happenings. Mist begged her father not to go, but even though he is a farmer, he is also the protector of Kardia.

So he entered the cave. Mist waits in her home for days, weeks, and months. Before she knew it, years had passed, and her father has never returned. Even now, she continues to wait for her father in the house just under the farm. Many of the other villagers of Kardia try to tell her that her father has to be dead, and that there is no reason to wait for him anymore. But Mist wants to continue to hold on to hope, and continue to wait.

Mist is now 20 years old, six whole years after her father had vanished. Her hair is now long, and she has grown even more beautiful as time passes. She still waits for her father, but she can no longer live off her father's savings. She will need to hire a man to run her father's farm in his place.

Mist wants to run her father's farm on her own. However in this day of age, farming is only run by men. Even though it pains her heart to allow another strange man to run the farm, she hangs up wanted ads for a farmer in Norad Kingdom, and mails flyers to the citizens of Sechs Empire.

Every once in a while, someone new would come and visit the farm. But everyone who sees it just gets discouraged and leaves. After so many years of neglect, the farm is hardly the glory it once was. The farm is covered in overgrown weeds, rock brought by hurricanes, and tree stumps that grew over the years. Starting the farm is just too much work for the average person to handle.

Mist is now inside her house one early Spring morning. She wears her sandals, and her white and blue mini dress to go out and check the mail. She finds a few letters inside, all of them from the visitors who had recently inspected the farm to see if they are willing to accept Mist's job offer.

One by one, Mist opens the letters. But as she reads the mail, all that comes out are depressing sighs. Each of the potential farmers have declined Mist's job offer for the same reason. The work is too hard for them to handle.

Mist throws herself on the table, and lets out a deep sigh. As her waist long white hair blankets her, she wishes that her father would come home already. She then sits up, and ties a small red ribbon close to the bottom of her hair. She sighs deeply and says, "I just don't get it. Not a single person will take my job offer. I know that the job may be rough at first, but I do offer a good pay rate."

She then stands up, and walks around the house randomly. She needs a farmer to work her father's farm, and she needs one soon. The money her father saved up is almost used up. She does not know how to cook, so she knows that if she does not get a farmer soon, she'll go hungry.

"Isn't there one man on earth who will be willing to take this job?" Mist asked the ceiling. "Please God, give me a sign! Any sign will do."

Suddenly, she hears a thud just outside her house. It was the sound of a person collapsing on the ground. Curious to know what happened, she rushes outside, and checks it out. As soon as she opens the door, she finds a young man laid out on the ground. She quickly notices that this man is not a villager of Kardia.

"Are you okay?" Mist asks rushing to the stranger's aid. She then pokes at the stranger's body a few times, she thought he was dead at first, but he is still breathing. "Wow, I've never seen anyone actually on the verge of collapsing before!"

The young stranger tries to get up, but he is too weak to do much. Mist then stands back to give him a little room. The strange man looks at Mist with tired and starving eyes and says, "Please. . . I've been walking for days. . . With no food. . . No water. . ."

"Oh, that's not healthy!" said Mist. She then picks up the young stranger, and carries him by the shoulder helping him into her home. She rests him on the chair in the dining room, and gives him some bread and water. The stranger wastes no time in devouring the food as if it were going away soon.

Mist sits on the other side of the table, and watches the stranger make a pig out of himself. After several minutes, the stranger looks at Mist and says, "Thank you very much! For a second there, I thought I was going to die of starvation."

"It's fine, I couldn't just leave you there to die." said Mist. The stranger then continues to eat his fill. As he feasts on Mist's food, she takes a good look at him. She notices that he is very young, about her same age. She finds him quite attractive, with deep ocean blue eyes, straight brown, tall slender physique. However, she finds his choice in clothing to be rather odd. The clothes is actually light leather armor, used by scouts.

As Mist continues to look at him, the strange stops eating and asks, "Is anything wrong miss?"

Mist snaps out of her trance, and answers, "Nothing at all." She then takes a deep breath and says, "My name is Mist. I am the owner of this property. So tell me, who are you, where did you come from, and where are you going?"

"Actually, I really don't know." said the stranger with a mouth full of bread.

"I beg your pardon?" asked Mist.

The stranger swallows the bread, and answers, "I don't remember who I am, where I came from, or where I'm going."

"You have amnesia?" asked Mist. The stranger nods, and continues to eat. "For how long?"

As soon as the stranger clears his mouth, he says, "I am not sure how long. I never really counted the number of Springs that have passed already."

"You've had amnesia for years?" The stranger nods. "So, what is the first thing you remember?"

The stranger thinks hard for a moment, and says, "I was in the middle of a forest far, far away. When I woke up, I realized that I had no idea who I was. All I did notice was that I was naked, so I guess I was just robbed, and someone hit me on the head real hard."

"Where did you get that armor?" asked Mist.

"Oh this?" asked the stranger taking a second look at his garments. "Some time ago, I found a man who was killed. I'm pretty sure an arrow killed him. I was wearing nothing but rags at the time, and Winter was coming around soon. So I decided to take his clothes to keep warm."

Mist sighs and takes another look at the stranger. As she observes him, she says to herself, "Well, he is a bit strange, but I can tell in his eyes that he is not lying. Poor guy, he lost his memory, and now he doesn't even have a place to live. I wish I could help him somehow."

Mist quickly gets an idea, and whispers to herself, "Wait a second. . . This could be my big chance I was looking for. He doesn't have a home, or a job. He doesn't look like a bad guy either. He's quite cute too. . . A bit dirty, but nothing a shower can't fix. I can take advantage of the situation, and make him into my farmer."

The stranger hears Mist, but he cannot make out anything she is whispering. Curious to know what she has on her mind, he asks, "Um, Mist? Is everything okay?"

Mist stands up and says, "Hey, wait here a second okay?" She then rushes to the back of the house to find some tools. The stranger stands up, and tries to look at what she is doing. Before he had a chance to see, Mist runs out with a couple of tools. She then places a hoe in his right hand, and a watering can in his left.

The stranger looks at the tools in his hands for a second. He then asks, "Um, what are these for?"

Mist scans the stranger holding the tools for a while. She then raises her thumb and says whole heartedly, "I got it! I think I know what you were before you lost your memory! I say that you were a farmer!"

"A farmer?" asked the stranger. He then takes another look at the tools and says, "I don't feel like a farmer."

"Oh, don't be silly. I can tell, I have an eye for these things!" She then runs behind the stranger, and shoves him out saying, "Come on, lets go outside! I want to show you something!"

The stranger does not object, so he goes outside with Mist. After she locks the door, Mist drags the stranger north to where her father's farm can be found. The stranger gasps in awe as he takes a look at the enormous farm that Mist has forced him to go to. To the west, he finds a small house that doesn't look like it has been used in a while. To the east, he finds a huge field littered with weeds, stones, and other random plants and objects.

He then looks at Mist and asks, "Why are we here?"

Mist nods proudly, and says, "Listen. I want to help you out. So I am giving you not only a home, but a job as well. I want you to become my farmer!"

"Um, are you sure that this is a good idea? I don't have even the slightest clue about farming."

Mist laughs and says, "It's fine, I can teach you everything you know about farming. And I really mean what I said about you, I think you were a farmer before you lost your memory. So I'm sure the farming knowledge will come back quickly. And besides, if you take this job, your memory may come back!"

"You really think so?" asked the stranger. Mist knows that she's just feeding him whatever just to get him to stay as the farmer, but she feels that he'll like being a farmer.

"Yup! I really think you can benefit a lot from farming." She then scans the stranger some more, and says, "By the way, since you cannot remember your name, I'll have to make one up for you. From here on, your name shall be. . . Laguna!"

"Laguna?" he asked. He thinks about it for a minute, then smiles. "Laguna, I like it!"

Mist smiles back, and asks, "So, will you take the job then?"

Laguna takes another good look at the tools he has in his hands. He is not sure why, but he feels that there is hope in Mist's offer. What if he really was a farmer? Will his memory come back after working in the farm? After thinking about it for a while, he nods at Mist, and says, "Okay, I'll give it a shot."

Mist jumps for joy, and shakes Laguna's hand. "Welcome to the Mist Farm Laguna!"

"Mist Farm? So the farm was named after you?" asked Laguna.

"Actually, no. It was the other way around. My father named the farm after a beautiful mist that covers the land in the early morning. I was named after the farm."

"I see." said Laguna.

Mist then hands several bags of seeds to Laguna and says, "Okay, this will be your first job! I want you to plant these seeds, and make radishes grow. It should be an easy start."

"Okay, I'll try my best." answered Laguna.

Mist then leaves Laguna the farm, and returns home. Laguna remains standing still for a while, taking a good look at the farm. He then looks at his new home, and checks it out. The house is very old, but still livable. It has enough for a single person to live in like a small kitchen, bed, restroom, and a small place to store tools in.

Laguna sighs and says, "Looks like this will be my new life from now on. I just hope that this farm can restore my memory like Mist promised. I wonder what kind of life did I lead before I lost my memory? What sort of person was I? Do I have a family waiting for me in my hometown?"

Laguna then puts his seeds and tools away in the storage closet. He is quite tired from the long walk, and excitement of finding a place to live. As he looks up at the ceiling, he quickly drifts to sleep. He dreams about what the farm can become. Large field of flourishing crops, animals to care for, and even a family he could raise. But for now, he sleeps peacefully.

**To be continued.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: Rival**

Laguna was even more tired than he assumed. He slept through all afternoon yesterday, and wakes up quite early. At first, he wakes up with a jerk, but then he realizes how he ended up in a soft comfortable bed. He met a girl named Mist the day before, and she not only gave him a home, but a job as well.

After waking up, he walks out of the house to get a breath of fresh air. But as he looks outside, his breath is taken away as he gazes into the beautiful mist that is covering the farm in the early Spring morning. At least he can clearly see why was the farm called "Mist Farm".

After stretching for a moment, Laguna goes back into the house, and takes his first shower in a while. There are many things left in the house that Laguna can use, such as toiletries, tools, extra clothing, and some food in the small kitchen. The house is pretty old, but very livable.

Even though there are some clothes that Laguna can use, he feels most comfortable in the ones that he was wearing when he first arrived. He then grooms his hair, washes his teeth, and uses a razor to shave some of the facial hair that he developed while traveling around. After splashing his face with some water, he takes a look in the mirror, and sees a brand new man. A bit younger, cleaner, and easier on the eyes. He is now ready for the first day on the job.

He takes his tools that Mist gave him, along with any others he found in the house, and heads out to the field. But after he arrives, he stops, and stares hopelessly at the mess. He had completely forgotten how overgrown the field has become over the years. So many weeds, plants, rocks, and other random stuff just carpets the field. There are so many different things covering the ground, he can barely see the soil underneath.

He takes a deep breath, and tilts his head down. He hasn't even started yet, and he already feel exhausted just by looking at the mess. But he then rolls his sleeves back, and cheers for himself. Mist has been kind enough to give him a home and a job so that he doesn't have to live in the woods anymore. The least he can do is try his best in the farm for her sake.

So he begins pulling up the weeds, and other plants in the upper west corner. He doesn't plan to clear everything out at once, just enough to grow the seeds that Mist has given him the day before. But what seems to be a simple task, proves to be quite time consuming, and energy draining. But no matter how tough the job becomes, he still wants to do his best. Both for Mist, and his memory.

The small town of Kardia, just north of the farm, lives many people. Typically, shop owners who work hard to make ends meet. As the time passes, each shop opens up one by one. And as the town begins to become active, news of Mist's new farmer begins to spread faster than a plague. Many people become rather curious of this new member of the community. They keep asking about his age, his family history, his background, and other things. But since Laguna himself does not know much about himself, neither do the townsfolk.

One of the shops close to the farm is a general store. And inside this store, lives a young girl about the same age as Mist, along with her father. This young lady is Rosetta, best known as the village tomboy. Because she had also lost her mother at a young age, her personality can hardly be called ladylike. She is a free spirit with lots of energy, as strong as any normal man in the village, and always speaks her mind about anything.

But even with her tomboyish personality, Rosetta is a very lovely young woman. Her long golden hair that reaches a few inches below her shoulders catches the interest of many of the young men. Her young smooth pretty face and violet eyes can sometimes make her the envy of other young girls in the village. Even for a tomboy, she dresses in a feminine fashion with a blouse-like shirt, and a short skirt that hangs just above her knees.

Today, she is in the shop overlooking the stock. During opening hours, customers sometimes move items around misplacing them. Late in the day, Rosetta makes it her personal responsibility to reorganize the items so that they can sell more goods every day.

After she is done, she sighs deeply and says, "There we go. Nothing like a well organized store to help the sales a bit."

Rosetta's father Jean then comes out of the back, and takes a look at the store. Jean is an ordinary middle aged man. With the exception of his blond hair, just about everything else is average. His wife passed away a long time ago, leaving him to raise his only daughter all by himself. Unlike Rosetta, Jean is not a very strong willed person. Typically, Rosetta bosses her father around, but he just smiles for her, and does whatever she says.

"You did a great job Rosetta." said Jean, surprising Rosetta from behind.

Rosetta looks back at her father, and says, "Oh dad, what's up? You look like you have something to talk to me about."

"Actually, I do." answered Jean. "Have you heard about the farm? Mist finally found a farmer to work in the old farm. Isn't that good news? Looks like we may have more business from now on."

"Oh, I see. It's about time, that farm hasn't been used ever since I was just a kid." said Rosetta.

Jean then sweats nervously. Knowing how his daughter is, he can already foresee how is she going to react by what he is about to say next. But he dares himself to say, "About that. . . As the general goods store, we are in charge of shipping the goods in the farm. But I'm getting old, and I was hoping if you could do the shipping instead."

"What!! Me?!" yelled Rosetta. She then crosses her arms, and turns away saying, "No dad! Shipping is a man's job! It's bad enough that the other people call me a tomboy! If I did it, I'll never e able to get married!"

Jean sighs and says, "Okay, I understand. . . I guess I'll have to do it, and leave you to run the store by yourself in the afternoon."

As soon as Rosetta hears that, shipping suddenly sounds like a better idea. She then looks at her father with a smile and says, "You know dad, I think I should do the shipping instead. You're too old, and I wouldn't like you to get hurt. So leave it to me!"

Jean smiles and says, "Oh, you'll do it? Thank you very much. Just remember, the goods have to picked up at 5:00pm every day except holidays."

"At 5:00pm?" asked Rosetta. She then looks at the clock and says, "It's already past 4 in the afternoon! I better get going!" Rosetta then rushes out of the shop, and heads into the back where she can get the cart ready.

Back at the farm, Laguna has spent the day clearing out a good portion of the field. He takes a look at the cleared field, and pats himself in the back. In a single day, he has already cleared out more than he had originally planned. Not even a single weed in the area that he cleared.

He then looks back at the pile of weeds, branches, and other things that he pulled out of the field. Now he needs to find a way how to get rid of the trash. He takes a look around the farm for a corner or someplace to put the items he cleared out. After a minute of looking around, he finds a large box next to a watering hole.

"Perfect! I could throw this stuff in there!" said Laguna. So little by little, he begins carrying the stuff to the box, and dumps everything inside. After he closes the box, he picks up the hoe, and walks over to the field so he can start tilling the cleared soil.

As he walks to the field, Rosetta walks into the farm pulling the cart where she plans to carry the goods back to the general store. The cart hasn't been used in a long time, so the wheels are a bit rusty, and makes pulling the cart a bit more difficult than normal. She wanted to oil the cart before she started pulling it, but she knows that it could take hours to do that, and she was already running late.

"Seriously, why do I have to do this anyway?" asked Rosetta. "If it wasn't for a certain poet that keeps bothering me, I would be more than happy to run the shop by myself. But without dad to chase him off, he will never leave me along, no matter how bad I'd beat him up.

But I am curious, what is this new farmer guy like. I bet he's just an old guy who desperately needs a job. No normal person would be willing to take over the farm. The farm is too much of a mess to work in."

After entering the farm, Rosetta takes a moment to find the shipping crate. She then finds it next to the watering hole, and pulls the cart towards it. She then parks the cart near the shipping crate, and wipes the sweat off her forehead. She may be stronger than the other girls currently living in the village, but pulling a rusty cart is hard work. But rather than complain, she rubs her hands together and says, "Well, lets see how the farmer did on his first day."

As Rosetta opens the box, Laguna has just finished tilling about nine square feet of land, good enough for a single bag of seeds. Soon afterwards, he hears the voice of a young girl yelling, "HEY!!! WHO THE HELL THREW ALL THIS TRASH IN THE SHIPPING CRATE!!!???"

Laguna looks back, and finds Rosetta looking into the box where he threw the stuff he cleared out of the field. By the murderous look on her face, he feels that he may be in trouble. But rather than running and hide, he feels that he should go apologize instead.

So he walks towards Rosetta and says, "Excuse me miss, I'm sorry, it was me. I thought it was a box for throwing garbage."

Rosetta looks at Laguna and says, "Garbage?! What the hell is wrong with you?! This is not used for garbage, it's for-" it takes her a minute to finally take a good look at Laguna. Her face turns red as soon as she looks into his handsome blue eyes. She then scans him starting from his young flawless face, his slender yet well toned body, and then back up to his brunette spiked hair.

"Oh my god, he's gorgeous!" she whispered to herself.

Laguna waves his hand over Rosetta's blank face, but hardly gets a response. "Excuse me, are you okay? You're face is all red."

Rosetta then snaps out of her trance, and replies, "Oh, me? Of course I'm okay. I was just caught by surprise, that's all."

"I see. . . Well, I hope you're not mad at me." said Laguna.

Rosetta then laughs sheepishly and says, "Me? Angry? Why would I be angry at you?"

Laguna then points at the shipping crate and says, "Because of the trash in that box."

Rosetta looks at the box for a moment, then back at Laguna saying, "Trash? This is not trash, it's umm. . ." She then takes a second look at the box. She knows that all the stuff Laguna threw in there is just weeds and other plants growing in the wild in the field, along with branches and stones. But even though, she feels that she could impress him a bit by making him feel that he did something good.

She then pulls out a random weed out of the box and says, "See this? This may look like a useless weed, but I can take this to a mill, and make fertilizer out of it."

She then takes out a stone and a branch, and says, "These can be used for making materials. The branch could be taken to a lumber mill, and be made into lumber to make houses. And the stones could be taken to a quarry to be made into bricks."

She then finds a bamboo shoot inside the mess of weeds and things, and says, "This is not a weed at all. It's actually a bamboo shoot. People buy this as an ingredient for cooking."

She then takes one last look at the crate and says, "I think I can see some colored grasses used to make medicine in the shipping crate too. I'm afraid I can't pay yo too much for all this, but. . ."

"Oh, it's fine. I didn't even expect to get anything from this. I'm just glad that I didn't do anything to make you angry." said Laguna.

Rosetta then pulls a basket out of the cart and says, "Well, I have to get started on these things. . . By the way, my name is Rosetta. What's you name?"

"My name is Laguna, it's nice to meet you."

"Laguna. . ." Rosetta's face turns red again, as she begins to imagine herself in a wedding dress holding on to his hand making their vows.

Laguna looks at Rosetta strangely as she giggles to herself with an empty basket in her hands. He then turns to the field, and says, "Well, I have to get back to work. I hope I see you around Rosetta."

"I'll see you later Laguna!" waves Rosetta. She then begins packing the stuff in the shipping crate, and whispers to herself, "Wow, Laguna. . . What a perfect name. I'm so glad I decided to do this, I can see him every day!"

After she has finished packing everything to be shipped, she says her goodbyes to Laguna, and leaves the farm with her head full of daydreams. Laguna finds Rosetta to be a bit strange, but he feels that she's a nice girl. He only hopes that everyone else in the village is as nice as she is.

The next day, Rosetta learns that she completely forgot to pay Laguna for the stuff he shipped yesterday. So she totals up the money she owes him, and runs off out of the general goods store and heads to the farm. This time, she wears some hair clips in her hair to make her look a bit more cuter to impress Laguna. She could have waited until later that day so she could deliver the money, but she just wants any excuse to go to the farm, and see Laguna.

As soon as she arrives at the farm, She peeks inside to see if Laguna's there. She does find Laguna in the field, but she hides somewhere as soon as she notices that he is not alone. Yesterday, Laguna has finished tilling all the space he has cleared. Today, she finds Mist with him giving Laguna pointers on the best way to plant the seeds, and water the soil.

Seeing Mist so close to him makes Rosetta feels upset. She had forgotten that since Mist's father is missing, Mist now owns the farm in his place. A long time ago, Mist and Rosetta were once best friends. But now they have become bitter rivals, and haven't spoken to one another in years. Since Mist is with Laguna, Rosetta decides to leave, and come back at 5:00pm to pick up any produce. The last thing she wants is to talk to Mist.

Later that day, Rosetta arrives at the farm just in time to pick up the shipped produce. But when she opens the box, she finds nothing in the shipping crate. She then looks over at Laguna, and notices that he is alone watering the planted seeds. Seeing that Mist is not with him, she decides to go ahead, and talk to him.

She slowly walks up to him, and says, "Hi there Laguna. How is everything?"

Laguna looks back, and finds Rosetta walking towards him. He smiles and says, "Hello Rosetta. Everything is just fine."

"I noticed that you didn't ship anything today. You know, you could ship anything, as long as it fits in the shipping crate. Just let me worry about what I can do with the stuff you ship."

"I see. I'll keep that in mind, thanks for the advice." answered Laguna.

"So, are you almost done with your work for the day? Since there's nothing to pack and ship, I have some free time. We could go to the square, talk for a bit, and get to know one another a little bit better."

"Sure, sounds like fun." answered Laguna.

Rosetta then embraces Laguna's arm, and begins to walk out of the farm. But it doesn't take long until Mist comes into the farm carrying some seeds that she wants Laguna to plant, and finds Rosetta in the farm leaving with Laguna. The shock from seeing them walk out together like if they are about to go on a date makes her drop the seeds she brought with her.

Just like Rosetta was upset seeing him with Mist, now Mist becomes upset seeing him with Rosetta. But rather than hiding and watching from afar, Mist decides to approach them, and stop whatever Rosetta has planned.

"Hey! Laguna, where are you going!?" yelled Mist. Rosetta looks back, and finds Mist standing behind them. She quickly grows angry at the first sight of her. Even Laguna can quickly see the negative energy both of the young girls are giving off between them.

"So, I take it that you both are friends?" he asked thoughtlessly.

"Hardly." answered Rosetta.

"We used to be friends, but Rosetta stole my boyfriend a few years ago." commented Mist.

"I didn't steal anyone's boyfriend!!" yelled Rosetta. "He told me that he broke up with you, so we started going out. It wasn't my fault that he likes me better than you."

Mist then points at Rosetta and yells, "Oh is that so? Then what are you doing with Laguna? He just got here, and you're already stealing him away!"

Rosetta tightens her grip on Laguna's arm and says, "Well duh! Laguna is your farmer, not your boyfriend. So he an do and go wherever he wants. Unless there is another reason that he cannot go for a walk with me."

As much as Mist hates to admit it, Rosetta is right. Mist only hired Laguna as a farmer, he is not obligated to do anything else. But even so, she liked Laguna before Rosetta, so she feels that she has first dibs on him. SO she comes up with an idea and says, "Well . . . I brought some seeds that Laguna needs to plant, so I'm afraid that he cannot go with you today." she said.

"Oh really? I'll get to work on that then." said Laguna walking away from Rosetta.

"But. . . What about our walk?" asked Rosetta as she watches Laguna walk away from her.

Laguna looks back and smiles at Rosetta saying, "We'll go for that walk next time. Right now, I have a job to do."

Laguna then walks to Mist, and helps her pick up the seeds she dropped. Rosetta becomes upset at Mist, and says under her breath, "You win this time Mist. But I swear that someday he will be mine." She then goes to her cart, and goes back home.

**To be continued.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: The Lonely Girl**

In the small village of Kardia, above the farm where Laguna lives in, also lives a collection of other villagers. Many of them come from the Kingdom of Norad, while others escape the clutches of the Sech Empire. However, there is one family of nobles who also lives in the small village of Kardia. This well known family of rich nobles are known as the De Sainte-Coquilles.

The family members of the De Sainte-Coquilles are the richest in all of Norad, and quite possibly the entire world. Everyone in the family lives in large mansions and villas located in small villages, mainly for peace, quiet, and protection. Because of their large wealth, the De Sainte-Coquille family lives in peaceful bliss.

However, there is just one exception in the entire family. In the village of Kardia is a large manor that houses two members of the De Sainte-Coquille family. A large, and rather proud, middle aged man named Jasper. And his only daughter Bianca.

Jasper works hard in his family business every day to secure the financial status of himself and his family. Like most members of the family, Jasper has an enormous appetite. So large, that everyone can agree that he is just as wide as he is tall. His mouth is so large, that he can frighten small children while eating. But even with his rather obese appearance, he is kind, warm hearted, and accepts everyone, commoner or noble alike.

On the other hand, his daughter is the complete opposite of him. Unlike her father, Bianca is a slender and beautiful young lady. Her appetite may be small, but she enjoys only the most fanciest and expensive foods her family has to offer. She resembles more like her mother with long blue curly hair, which she ties up into a double ponytail, and leaves two strings of hair hanging beneath them. A small red ribbon rests just over her bangs to give a cute youthful look. Her slender face with full cheekbones gives her a very feminine charm to her profile. She also has large aquamarine eyes, but they are typically halfway closed because of her constant bored look.

Bianca is the perfect example of "Money cannot buy happiness". Because she never works and lives in a small village with very little to do, Bianca is constantly bored with hardly anything to entertain her other than to watch the walls. Her only friend is the household maid Tabatha who also lives at the manor.

Like many days spent, Bianca is sitting in her elegantly decorated chair, like a princess sitting on a throne. Her cheek is resting on her hand as she looks around the expensive manor. To most people, the many expensive decorations of the manor would keep them entertained for hours. Large expensive pottery from around the world, art and paintings hanging on the wall, the marble floor with beautiful patterns, the crystal chandelier that hangs over their heads, the pillars with artistic patterns. However, Bianca has become rather bored after looking at them year after year.

She sometimes goes off to the public square for a change of scenery, but there is little to see there as well. Time after time, she wishes to go out to the city. She believes that the city holds many things that can keep her busy or entertained. Something different to do on a daily basis. Even meet many interesting people who can keep her company.

But as much as she wishes to move to the city, her father Jasper enjoys the benefits of the country life. Sometimes, Bianca has mentioned her desire to leave the village to her father, but Jasper keeps talking her out of the idea. It has worked for many years, but Bianca is getting older. Jasper often worries that he may not be able to keep his daughter in Kardia for much longer.

As Bianca sits in her chair nearly bored to death, Tabatha the maid approaches her with a message. "Excuse me Miss Bianca. But a guest has arrived at the Manor."

Bianca lets out a bored sigh and asks, "Who is it this time?"

"I believe it's a noble from the main city of Norad. His name is Archduke Ferdinand from the Rosenfield family. He wishes to speak to you." answered Tabatha as she wipes her hands against her apron.

Bianca sighs again and says, "Very well. Please escort him here."

Tabatha bows gracefully, and heads over to the entrance of the manor. After a few minutes, a young and handsome man enters the room where Bianca sits awaiting her guest. The young man wears a pure white tuxedo with a cape to show off his noble ranks. His hair is as blond as the morning sun, and as aqua as the ocean in the horizon. A perfect image of male beauty, like a prince charming from a fairy tale. But even this does not strike Bianca's interest. All he is to her is another handsome man that she often meets.

Sitting up like a perfect lady, Bianca asks, "Hello there. I am Bianca De Sainte-Coquille. My maid has informed me that you wish to speak to me. What is it that you need from me?"

The young man puts on his best smile, and kneels before Bianca holding up a white rose for her. He then looks up and says, "Lady Bianca from the De Sainte-Coquille family. I have journeyed far from my home because I have fallen madly in love with you, and I wish to ask your hand in marriage!"

Bianca sighs and whispers under her breath, "Another marriage proposal. . . Figures." She then strokes her smooth long hair before asking, "So tell me, what are you offering for my family? Are you even worthy of my hand?"

The gentleman then places the rose in his own lips, and says, "You get what you see. I am the most handsome man in all of Norad, so that alone will honor your family. It is true that your family outranks mine, but I assure you that by us joining in holy matrimony, we will make your family even more prosperous than ever before!" He then pulls out a small box out of his pocket, and opens it to reveal a variety of glistening jewels, then says, "I have also brought a gift for you. Only the most beautiful gems I could ever find just for you. I know that the beauty of these gems will never even come close to your own, but they will have to do. So what do you say? The most beautiful girl and the most handsomest man in the world? It's almost like a match made in heaven!"

Bianca stands up, and takes a few steps towards the archduke. For a moment, he starts to feel excited. As soon as Bianca accepts his jewels, they will be engaged. But his confidence dies as soon as he sees Bianca frown angrily in front of his eyes. Before he realizes it, Bianca slaps the box full of jewels off of his hands, scattering emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, and rubies all over the floor.

Bianca's angry eye twitch leaves Ferdinand speechless. He had spoken in the most respectable tone, and used the most romantic words he knows. He cannot understand why Bianca has become so upset all of the sudden. "How dare you come into my home with your big ego and pride problems. And the best you can offer is a bunch of colored glass? The doorstops in my home is more expensive than your pitiful excuse for a gift! You're even more boring than the last guy who came asking for my hand!"

The young noble tried to say something or apologize, but Bianca refuses to hear it. All she does is point towards the direction of the exit of the mansion, and demanded that he left the manor. Without making a fuss, the archduke leaves, never to return again. Bianca then lets out a stressful sigh, and returns to her seat. After a few minutes, Tabatha then enters the room to check on Bianca.

"So, you got rid of another one Miss Bianca?" asked Tabatha.

Bianca nods and answers, "Yeah. . . I'm getting pretty bored of doing this. I mean it was funny the first time around, but then it gets old quickly."

She then rests her cheek on her hand again while saying, "Honestly, why are men so boring these days. They just come in, and brag about how they look, and offer me something I already have too much of. Money, gold, gems, flowers, food, sweets, jewelry, what's the point? I can already buy anything I want, why give me more of what I already have?"

"So then, what type of man are you looking for?" asked Tabatha.

Bianca clasps her hands together, and blushes as she imagines the perfect man in her head. "What I would like is a knight in white shining armor! He would go out and slay a dragon in my name. After being months away on a journey, he would come back, and enlighten me with his stories of the battles he endured. He would have many scars in his well toned muscular body, and he would talk to me for hours about each and every wound he has endured! He would be brave, and would rush into battle. I would wait at the balcony for his return. I would worry for his safety, and sometimes cry because I would imagine the worst would happen to him. But then he would come back riding his white stallion, and apologize for making me worry so much. I would be angry for a little bit, but his stories would make me feel better all over again."

Tabatha nods with a smile and says, "That sounds like quite a vivid dream. I'm sure if you wait long enough, someone with those qualities may stumble at your door." She then hears Jasper call her from a distance. So she bows at Bianca and says, "Please excuse me, but your father is calling me. Maybe we'll talk later later I am done with dinner."

And so, Tabatha leaves to fulfill her duties as a maid for the manor. Meanwhile, Bianca once again rests her cheek on her hand, and sit like a porcelain doll. Tabatha is her only friend, and she talks to her whenever she can get the chance. But because Jasper eats about seven times a day, Tabatha is almost always busy either cleaning or cooking. So she sits and waits, tomorrow is another day.

The next day, Laguna decides to walk around and introduce himself to the townspeople of Kardia. The town is designed quite uniquely with only four roads. Each road has a number of buildings on it. The road closest to the farm holds the common businesses, like the general Store where Rosetta lives, the clinic, a blacksmith shop, and an inn. The road further north has other businesses, mostly carpentry and farms. There is also a bath house, but it's only open at night. And to the east is a church where people say their prayers during Holidays. And the furthest road is where the mayor lives, as well as the manor where Bianca lives. The fourth road connects all the other roads at the center, and eventually ends at the square.

One by one, Laguna visits each shop meeting all the people who live in Kardia. Some are friendlier than others, but everyone welcomes their new neighbor. The last building he visits is the Mayor's house, where Mayor Godwin, and his daughter Felicity lives. Afterwards, he leaves, and is ready to head south back to the farm. But on his way back, he notices the De Sainte-Coquille Manor. From the outside, it doesn't look like a home, but something like a small castle.

Laguna notices the manor clean as a whistle, and he can notice someone walking around inside. Seeing that people live there, he decides to go inside, and introduce himself. The gate is open, and the front door is unlocked, so he lets himself inside.

Laguna gasps as he sees the interior of the house. The main room is bigger than his own house, and looks like a ballroom for formal dances. Each side of the room has a circular staircase that leads to the upper floor. Everything is decorated with fancy statues, paintings, and pillars. The handles to the doors, and even the railing to the stairs seem to be lined with solid gold. Anything he can point out must be worth more than anything Laguna can ever own.

Laguna walks around aimlessly through the main room of the house looking at everything like if it was priceless. He was so distracted of a particular painting, that he failed to hear the footsteps of a young girl gently walking down the stairs. Bianca was on her way out of the manor to get some fresh air from the square when she noticed Laguna staring at the painting in the main room. She stops halfway down the steps to take a good look at the stranger.

Bianca knows everyone who lives in Kardia. But this stranger is completely new to her. She begins to ask herself, "Who is that man?" "What is he doing here?" Judging by Laguna's clothes, Bianca can clearly tell that he is not a noble. However, they are not clothes that a commoner would wear either.

Curiosity strikes her, so she quietly walks towards him. "Excuse me! But who are you?" asked Bianca when she got about five feet from Laguna.

Laguna turns around and finds Bianca standing behind him. Based on her fancy dress decorated with red, violet, maroon, and pink colors, he can tell that she must live there. Bianca also wears a pink petticoat, and white gloves that sleeve all the way past her elbows. Some gold is decorated into her dress and accessories show off how wealthy her family is.

"Well, aren't you going to say something?" asked Bianca snapping Laguna out of his trance.

"I'm sorry. The door was open, and-" Laguna was suddenly cut off when Bianca covered her nose with her hands.

"Ew! You certainly smell like a commoner!" she said suddenly. Laguna sweats nervously, he was working on the fields before he started touring the village. The others didn't mind the smell of dirt, mainly because they knew that he works as a farmer. Bianca then continues, "I get it now, you must be another servant that my daddy hired."

"Actually I-" Before Laguna had a chance to interject, Bianca walks over to a nearby table and grabs a rag that Tabatha left behind.

She then throws it to Laguna and says, "Fine, Tabatha needs the help anyway. Go ahead and dust the place. I'll be supervising you for today, so don't slack off. If you miss even a single spot, I'll have my daddy fire you, is that understood?"

"But I-"

"Now!!" yelled Bianca cutting Laguna off yet again. Rather than argue, Laguna nods, and begins dusting the mansion. Bianca then takes a seat and watches him. For the next hour, Bianca continues to order him around, asking him to clean certain sculptures, and pointing out many mistakes.

During the time that Bianca had control over Laguna, she was enjoying herself. She doesn't order Tabatha around considering that they are friends, and she is too busy caring for the house anyway. So having someone who does what she says makes her feel important. This gets cut off rather short when Tabatha comes out of the kitchen with some tea.

Tabatha rests the tea on the table Bianca was sitting next to, and says, "I figured you might be thirsty, so I made you some herbal tea. I hope you enjoy it."

"Thanks Tabatha, I do feel a bit thirsty." After taking a sip, Bianca points at Laguna who is still working and says, "By the way, who's the new guy? I like him. He works hard, doesn't complain, and he does exactly what I tell him. Definitely worth keeping around. He smells like dirt, but a bath could fix that."

Curious to know who she's talking about, Tabatha looks towards the direction she's pointing at. After taking a good look at Laguna, she says, "That's unusual. I didn't hire any new personnel, and your father never mention any new people either."

Shocked to see that he was not someone hired by Tabatha or her father, Bianca rests her cup of tea on the table, and walks towards Laguna who is cleaning a portrait frame. She then lets out a fake cough to get Laguna's attention, then asks, "Excuse me, but who are you? My maid has informed me that we have not hired anyone new."

He then turns around and says, "My name is Laguna. I'm a farmer at the Mist Farm."

"Mist Farm? You mean the dirty run down excuse of land south of the village?" asked Bianca. "Well, what are you doing here?"

"I just wanted to say hi to everyone. I just moved here about a week ago." answered Laguna.

Bianca then snatches the rag away from Laguna, then says, "Well, my name is Bianca. My maid is named Tabatha, and my daddy is named Jasper. Now that we've been introduced, get out! This is not a museum you know."

"Sorry, I'm going." said Laguna defensively. He then marches out of the manor, and heads back to the farm. Bianca then sits back down and finishes her tea. Tabatha says nothing about the stranger, and goes back to the kitchen to make lunch.

After a few minutes, the house becomes quiet once again. Bianca takes the final sip of her tea, and sighs sadly. Having Laguna around made things interesting. She almost feels bad for throwing him out so suddenly. It's not like her to be so mean to commoners, but the sudden shock of seeing a new person in the village made her say things she did not mean to.

**To be continued.**


End file.
